Hawking said that he would like to visit again to talk with other scientists but fears he “may not be welcome”. He also said that he was particularly worried about Trump’s environmental policy (or lack of). “He should replace Scott Pruitt at the Environment Protection Agency,” Hawking said. “Climate change is one of the great dangers we face, and it’s one we can prevent. It affects America badly, so tackling it should win votes for his second term. God forbid.”

He believes that Trump won the election as part of a “revolt against globalisation” and that Trump’s priority will be “to satisfy his electorate, who are neither liberal nor that well informed.”

Although Hawking may not be welcome in America, he did reveal that he will be able to visit space thanks to Richard Branson. Hawking confirmed that Branson has offered him a seat on Virgin Galactic and that he immediately accepted.

The Good Morning Britain interview wasn’t the first time that Hawking has spoken out against Trump. Last May, Hawking told ITV that Trump was a “demagogue” and that he found his popularity “inexplicable”.

Trump has yet to retaliate, but it isn’t hard to imagine what he would say. Something like this probably:

“Phony Professor Hawking thinks he isn’t welcome and he’s right. He may know about “science”, but he doesn’t know about me! Sad!”

As we know from recent news, Branson and former US president Barack Obama are good buds, so it is likely that Obama could get an invite into space too.

If that happens, at least Hawking will have one president he can chat with as he cruises the solar system.

About the author

Stefan is an Adelaide-based freelance writer. In his spare time, he plays tennis badly, collects vinyl and brushes up on his Mandarin. Follow Stefan on Twitter